Who says you can't go home again?

Somewhere someone once wrote 'you can never go home again'.  In my humbled opinion that is complete hogwash!  I believe if you feel that way it's because you never had a home there to start with.  Every February I go home to Coshocton for a quilting retreat. I spend the weekend with 74 other women who all share a love of cloth and thread.  We spend our time creating beautiful pieces of love, laughing our butts off, and eating fabulous food.  (Don't worry, I don't cook any of it!).  And yes, there just might be a little drinking.  For most of the women, it is a weekend away to relax and unwind.  For me it's more than that.  It's about reconnecting with the place that helped mold me into the person that I am today.

One of my favorite things about the weekend is running into people I know and haven't seen a long time. In fact I'm always on the look out for familiar faces in restaurants and stores.  Of course my girlfriends always tease me about running into people I know.  They say I could be in a shack in the middle of no where and still run into someone I know.  I love reconnecting with people who were important to me as I grew up.  The first place I always go is  my favorite quilt shop Mercantile on Main.  The owner, Denise, is a friend from high school.  It never fails, I walk in the store and she puts me to work! I either cut fabric or price merchandise or put bolts away or all three!  The best part is spending time with Denise and catching up.  While at the store on Thursday I ran into Edna Brenly.  She is a Coshocton icon!  She was the long time manager of the local bar, Bandos. That bar was a rite of passage for every 21(18) year old kid! It is legendary.  Bando's is long gone now, but Edna is still kicking it.  She is 85 and quilting up a storm!  I am so glad we got to visit with one another.

Due to the popularity of Facebook, I am friends with some people that I went to school with and haven't seen since graduation.  Yes, for you math wizards, that was 32 years ago!  A couple of us made plans to get together over the weekend.  We met at the local coffee/wine bar, Uncorked, in Roscoe Village.  I don't know what it is about being in Coshocton, but I always end up acting like an 18 year old again.   I immediately fall back into old habits and shenanigans.  Darin, Nina, and I never missed a beat.  You would have never known that we hadn't seen each other in a 1/4 of a century!  We told stories and laughed our butts off.  The two hours passed by before any of us knew it.  It was so nice to make the connection again with them.

Then there is Kelly.  She and I have been friends since the 6th grade!  Yes, math people, I know that it is 38 years!  Our friendship has evolved over the years.  It has had it's ups and downs.  There were times we were tight and then times we drifted apart.  It's called life.  I believe our friendship has endured because will have know each other's deep, dark secrets and still like each other.  As someone once said, 'It's not the number of friends you have, but the ones that are there when you need them most'.  Kelly is a keeper, and I love our time together during the 3rd weekend in February.

Now I know what you're thinking.  It is great to visit,  but surely you wouldn't want to live there again, would you?  Denise you are just on a flashback high and it will all look different in the morning.  My answer is I would move back in a heartbeat.   You know I didn't have the 'normal' family structure growing up.  We had our issues.   But looking back, it was the friends I had and the community that I lived in that helped make my life 'normal'.  It was a great place to grow up and create memories.  Luckily, those same values still exist today.  The wear and tear is showing, but the heart of the soul is still burning bright.  Thanks to Coshocton and friends for recharging my batteries.  I can't wait to return again.

Make Every Day Count....
Denise